Front diff cover stripped bolt head
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 250
From: North Texas
Front diff cover stripped bolt head
Getting ready to do diff fluid change and noticed a bolt head on the front cover has been stripped. Anyone know of a good place to find a replacement bolt once I extract it?
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
Trending Topics
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 249
Likes: 1
From: Middletown, PA
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 250
From: North Texas
The rear diff was serviced 50k miles ago by Ford. I did end up having an axle seal leak on driver and passenger sides 40k mi ago. Fixed myself and topped the differential off. No issues since. I plan to do a full service on it too while I'm addressing the front. There is no record from the previous owners records that the front diff has been serviced at all, but this broken bolt head has me thinking it must have and someone over torqued it.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 10,750
Likes: 1,065
From: Douglassville, PA
The rear diff was serviced 50k miles ago by Ford. I did end up having an axle seal leak on driver and passenger sides 40k mi ago. Fixed myself and topped the differential off. No issues since. I plan to do a full service on it too while I'm addressing the front. There is no record from the previous owners records that the front diff has been serviced at all, but this broken bolt head has me thinking it must have and someone over torqued it.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,236
Likes: 2
Looking at the pic, they appear to be ungraded bolts. High strength is not required in that location. So those bolts would be easier to snap compared to a graded fastener, either from corrosion locking it in place or over torque... but the diff cover does not look distorted from what I can see. I'm leaning towards corrosion, which may affect other bolts too.
At least it will be easier to drill an ungraded bolt. I would soak it in PB Blaster for a few days before trying an extraction.
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 250
From: North Texas
Well, I finally got to this last weekend. The bolt head was not broke off after all. What looked like the shaft of the bolt missing the head, was just dry gasket maker that filled the hole. There was no bolt to begin with 
(Reason #5,032 to do your own work).
All is remedied now and looking nice again after fresh paint.
(Reason #5,032 to do your own work).All is remedied now and looking nice again after fresh paint.